San Francisco Nets Nearly $4 Million From Zyn Sellers in Crusade Against Flavored Tobacco | KQED

"In this photo illustration, ZYN nicotine cases and pouches are seen on a table on Jan. 29, 2024, in New York City. San Francisco reached a nearly $4 million settlement holding online tobacco sellers accountable for illegally selling flavored nicotine products banned since 2019, requiring them to block San Francisco addresses and clearly state online that flavored tobacco sales are prohibited in the city. (Illustration by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)"

"The judgment also requires all four companies to prohibit the use of San Francisco addresses in shipping or billing address fields, and post clear language on their websites stating that flavored tobacco products may not be sold in San Francisco. Between the four defendants, the lawsuit netted the city nearly $4 million in penalties and fees. Lucy Goods did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication."

"According to the 2023 California Youth Tobacco Survey, most high school respondents who used tobacco reported using flavored tobacco products, and nicotine pouches were the second-most common form of tobacco use among eighth-graders. Experts say the proliferation of flavored tobacco products, which are more attractive to young people, has threatened decades of progress in reducing youth tobacco use. Zyn, a Swedish brand of nicotine pouches that has dominated the market, has been around for a decade."

San Francisco secured a $1 million settlement with a retailer accused of using online sales to flout the city's ban on flavored nicotine pouches. The judgment requires the defendants to block San Francisco shipping or billing addresses and to post clear website notices that flavored tobacco sales are prohibited in the city. Together the four-company lawsuit produced nearly $4 million in penalties and fees. Flavored tobacco products remain popular among youth, with nicotine pouches noted as a common product for middle and high school users. Zyn is a dominant Swedish nicotine pouch brand that has been on the market for a decade, and the pouches deliver nicotine via placement between gum and lip in a variety of fruit and mint flavors.

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